Independent schools endorse Government's Better Schools plan

The Federal Government has secured another key agreement in its bid to lock in the Better Schools funding plan.

The peak body for independent schools, the Independent Schools Council of Australia (ISCA), has signed up to the plan, bringing 1,050 schools and 562,000 students under the scheme.

Yesterday, Tasmania joined New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT in agreement with the plan, which is also referred to as the Gonski reforms after businessman David Gonski, who chaired a review into Australia's schools system.

Education Minister Bill Shorten says today's agreement is "historic".

"There's 560,000 children who attend independent schools in Australia, who as a result of the reforms of this Labor government will be receiving much-needed injections of Commonwealth money to ensure that as individual children, they can get the best support possible to have the best education they can across Australia," he said.

"This will see greater empowerment of schools. This will also see greater support for the professional development of teachers."

Mr Shorten says the funding will allow schools to provide specialist resources, including to students who need more help with literacy and numeracy, bright students "who need to be stretched further" and students with disabilities.

Under the plan, the Federal Government will provide $629 million over six years to independent schools.

Funding from the states and territories that have signed on push the total figure up to $815 million.

And, if all the states and territories agree, that figures rises even further.

"Ideally, if Victoria, West Australia and Queensland sign up then the total package will go to over $1 billion," Mr Shorten said.

Mr Shorten says he is working to "close some of the deals" before the July 14 deadline, but again stressed that the Commonwealth would not offer any more money.

"I'm optimistic that we can achieve quite a lot between now and Sunday," he said.

"I remain optimistic that I can keep having the same constructive dialogue with the National Catholic Education Commission, with the Victorian Government, with the Territory, with Western Australia and with Queensland.

"I don't know how to give up."

Mr Shorten said federal funding to independent schools will flow through directly to those schools regardless of whether the relevant state government has signed up or not.